Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Prisoner of War ❯ Memories ( Chapter 16 )

Tigerrelly- Thank you so much! That was such a sweet review. In response to the poem, I was envisioning Misao and Aoshi, but it could just have well been Sano and Megumi. He "hated her" because she was still alive. She could be there for her child and her husband while Kaoru could not. You must figure out what happened. That's how one is able to write a term paper on a poem. Speculation.

Bando-Eido no Magami-Sama- I do!

Insomni-maniac- Awww. You're my favorite reviewer! Lots of Dr. Pepper and Justin's homemade meatloaf for you! (It's really good. I'm glad my boyfriend can cook, and do laundry, and draw my bath… wait a sec. This sounds vaguely familiar.)

Lilemmy- It was Kenshin who said the last line of the last chapter. Although it could have been Megumi, in light of this chapter, it was definitely Kenshin.

FieryDemon09- I love it when people tell me that I made their favorite stories list. Go me!

Nigihayami Haruko- I always look forward to getting a review from you. It's nice to know that people are actually picking up on what I spent so much time inserting. Thanks!

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Never before had a foreigner so blatantly walked down the middle of their main street. But this man, he sauntered down it. The people in the market stalls glared at him, daring him to try to buy from them. The children cowered behind their parents, and the men were arguing with themselves over who should confront the tall man. The biggest and strongest of their men was chosen. He stomped carefully into the middle of the street, blocking the path. He was amazed when the man simply sidestepped and continued around him. He twirled around quickly and shouted at the retreating figure.

"Hey, foreigner! We don't want your kind here!" The man never turned. His hands stayed in his pockets. The fish bone he had been chewing on stayed in his mouth. He just called out over his shoulder.

"Good thing I'm not here to see you then." The townspeople didn't know what to say. Short of getting the Kyoto army involved, there was nothing they could do. The man emanated strength. From the opening in his white jacket one could easily see well-developed muscles shifting about as he moved. So, they returned to their business. One woman, however, did not look away. She stared right at him as he moved toward her. He was the most remarkable thing she had ever seen. He was violent, rude, strong, and had a quick temper. But that meant nothing to her. She knew what was deep inside this frightening man. He was gentle and kind, especially when he touched her. He smiled when he saw her staring at him.

"Did you miss me?" She looked up into his big brown eyes. How beautiful they were with his adoration for her swirling in them. He ran a hand through his thick messy brown hair. She longed to be that hand. To move through his wild tresses that escaped the red band he wore around his forehead. She imagined it would feel exhilarating taming something so unbridled as his hair, or his equally unrestrained spirit. She smiled up at him.

"Me? Miss a big oaf like you? Why, Sanosuke, I only thought of you once maybe twice a moment." He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her. She loved the way he smelled. It was like the earth had come forward and personally gifted this man with the most rugged and masculine scent available. He released her and stared hard into her eyes.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Will you come away with me?" Her mouth dropped open. She had never been anywhere outside of Kyoto in her entire life. She only met him accidentally when she was near the outskirts of town, and he had saved her from some would be rapists. He had refused to let her go home alone. He had walked right beside her, and then every week had come to see her. She had slowly become enamored with him. She would happily go to the ends of the earth for him, but she didn't realize she would be going so soon.

"Where will we go Sanosuke?"

"Back to Edo." She frowned a bit and leaned into his chest. Why was this such a difficult decision?

"But I have nothing in Edo. Everything I have is here. Here I am the doctor's daughter. A Takani. What sort of status would a Kyoto girl nobody's ever heard of have?" He stroked her long black hair.

"You wouldn't be someone that nobody knew. You would be a Sagara. You would be Sanosuke Sagara's wife. There is much respect for that position. I promise you." She gazed up at him. His wife? This was the moment she had been dreaming of for so long. She nestled back into his chest and placed open-mouthed kisses on all the skin that was near her. They left for Edo that night with her father shouting angrily behind them.

She grew to love Edo, though she loved the man who proudly called himself her husband even more. He did everything for her. He rubbed her back. He permitted her to go to the hospital to learn the techniques of a doctor. He treated her like she was the most precious thing on earth. Never like a possession, as so many other husbands in Edo were apt to do. Her life with him was perfect. Many mornings she had woken up cradled in his strong, loving embrace. He was so warm and no matter the temperature, she was comfortable there in his arms, cuddled against his chest. Every day she would be up before him and just lay there relishing in his strength and his scent. One morning had been different though. She had awoken to his wide-open eyes. He had kissed the top of her head and pulled her desperately closer.

"Sano, what's wrong?"

"I love you so much." He voice had been ragged with worry. She had tried to break away to look into his eyes, but she couldn't. He had been pressing her to him so tightly.

"Sano? Please tell me what's wrong!" He had just squeezed her again.

"So much." She could feel him pull in shaky breaths. Her husband was crying? She had never seen him cry before. Not once in the three years she had been by his side had he shed a tear.

"I love you too, Sanosuke." He had stayed there for a moment just holding her and crying then got up quickly. He had moved to the trunk that held their clothing and pulled out something she hadn't seen before. An Edo military uniform. Then she had realized what was happening, why he had been awake to hold her. She had understood those tears at that very moment.

"They need me." It had been indescribably painful for her as she watched her devoted husband leave her side. He had looked almost like a different man in his dark blue government issue clothing. But she could never mistake him. He had still worn the red band around his head in a vain attempt to control his hair. He had laughed many times that she was the only one that could bring it in to some semblance of order. But she usually didn't. She liked the way it looked when it was doing whatever it wanted. She had realized long before that she did not want to tame her husband at all, only be a part of his wildness. He had kissed her hard before he walked away toward the place where many other men in dark blue were headed. She had sat in her room that day and cried. Every day after that, she had waited. She had been so sure he would return to her. She had never doubted his abilities. When she had heard a small knock at the door one day, she had toppled her cooking in her haste to reach it. It had not been her husband though. It had been a nameless man in dark blue. In his hand he had held a red band. It had still smelled so much like him. Like him and his blood.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Sagara." She had fallen to her knees right in front of him. Everything was suddenly so awful. Then, his sent seemed to fade away, and was replaced by that of cherry blossoms. She looked up at the red headed slave before her. His expression was harsh, but his eyes were desperate.

"I must find her! Please, tell me where she is!" Megumi lifted a shaky finger and pointed toward the water.

"Do you see that small house there on the far end of the lake? That is where she is. That is her home." He broke into a run. His feet were crunching in the snow at such a fast pace that she could hardly distinguish one step from the next. His long hair streamed out behind him. It seemed so desperate to escape the band that held it back. Tears frozen to Megumi's face cracked as she smiled lightly. He was so very beautiful.

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A/N: Thanks for reviewing and voting on which story to go with. Here are the results so far:

Letters From Home- 1

Kenshin Slave Fic 2- 8

Modern Kenshin Fics- 1

I will write whatever you guys choose next. Also, if I do decide to write Slave fic 2, should Kenshin be able to speak in the beginning? I'm leaning toward no because well… I have a good reason damn it! Okay let me know. Please review!